Industrial controllers are special purpose computers used for controlling factory automation devices. Under the direction of a stored program, a processor of the industrial controller examines a series of inputs reflecting the status of a controlled processor or device and changes outputs affecting control of the controlled process or device. The inputs and outputs may be of an analog or digital nature. Generally industrial controllers are constructed in modular fashion to accommodate different application requiring different numbers and types of input/output (I/O) circuits as are determined by the particular device or process being controlled. In such modular systems, a number of different functional modules connect together through a common backplane in a rack to share data and power. However, other types of modules forming industrial controller solutions include communication modules adapted to provide communication links, counter/encoder modules for monitoring motor position information, programming modules adapted to be programmable to function according to a user's instructions, relay modules typically provided to shut off automated devices and control modules adapted to control and operate industrial control modules.
Prior to the introduction of industrial control modules into a factory environment, the modules are tested by a test system to verify the proper operation and functionality of the industrial control module. These test systems employ software to control and operate instrumentation that provide input stimulus and perform measurements to verify the proper functional operation of the industrial control modules. Typical test system software employed to test industrial control modules suffer from several deficiencies. For example, most test system software includes instrumentation drivers that are customized for that particular instrument. Typically these drivers are embedded within the actual product test code. When this instrumentation becomes out of date or obsolete, new drivers must be written or installed to operate the new equipment requiring updates to all product tests utilizing this instrument. Furthermore, most test system software is written to function in a particular operating system and is not portable to other operating systems. Additionally, during the test development process, a test developer needs access to a test system and the instrumentation of the test system to verify that a test written by the developer will operate properly. Therefore, time-sharing of the test system is employed between test developers causing reduced throughput of tests ready for implementation into production. Typically, tests are verified by running tests during development with the instrumentation off, so that damage to the instrumentation does not occur. However, a developer cannot be assured that a test will operate properly until the test is run with the instrumentation on. A developer cannot be absolutely assured that a test will not cause damage to instrumentation or the unit under test once the instrumentation is live, until all the errors are eliminated from the test.
Therefore, it is apparent that there is an unmet need for a test software that is employed on a test system that mitigates the aforementioned deficiencies.